Invertible closure for a container



June 6, 1967 S 5N5, JR 3,323,694

INVERTIBLE CLOSURE FOR A CONTAINER Filed Feb 18, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR. Fir-4 firm aw, Jz,

June 6, 1967 F. P. STEVENS, JR

INVERTIBLE CLOSURE FOR A CONTAINER Fild Feb. 18, 1966 2 Sheets-SheetINVENTOR. Pin-e QJrB E/mu'.

A rrae/viy United States Patent 3,323,694 INVERTIBLE CLSSURE FGR ACONTAINER Peter P. Stevens, Jr., Point Reyes Station, Califi, assignorto Walter Lander, San Francisco, Calif. Filed Feb. 18, 1966, Ser. No.528,578 12 Claims. (Cl. 222-498) This invention relates to a containerclosure and, more particularly, to a container closure structureselectively invertible between open and closed positions and throughwhich the contents of the container can :be dispensed. An exemplaryinstance of a container with which the dispensing closure structure isuseful is one intended for a liquid product such as lubricating oil forautomobile engines and the like.

It is usual to store and transport containers in relatively large casesor cartons each of which receives therein a plurality of individualcontainers stacked one upon another and arranged in side-by-side rows.In order to maximize use of the space available within such shippingcartons, it is advantageous to have the container walls free fromoutwardly extending protuberances. It is also advantageous in manyinstances to equip containers with dispensing closures through which thecontainer contents can be discharged provided that any such dispensingclosure does not materially increase the size of the storage andshipping space required for the containers.

The present invention is concerned with a dispensing closure structurefor containers, which closure structure is selectively movable betweenan open position in which it projects outwardly from the container tofacilitate the discharge of material therethrough and a closed positionin which substantially no portion of the closure structure projectsoutward-1y beyond the dimensional limits of the container to interferewith the usual handling and packaging thereof. Dispensing closurestructures of this general type (i.e. relatively movable between openand closed positions) are not broadly new. Accordingly, an object, amongothers, of the present invention is to provide an improved dispensingclosure structure which is quickly and easily moved between its open andclosed positions, such positions defining a type of reverse symmetry andbeing essentially mirror images of each other as respects at leastcertain components of the structure,

by inversion thereof through a geometric center plane,

and which positively maintains itself in each such position.

Embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a container equipped with a dispensingclosure structure made in accordance with the present invention, and inwhich such closure structure is shown in the open position thereof;

FIGURE 2 is a broken side view, essentially in elevation but withcertain components being illustrated in section, of the dispensingclosure structure shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the container shown in FIGURE 1, but withthe dispensing closure structure illustrated in the closed positionthereof;

FIGURE 4 is a broken side view, essentially in elevation but withcertain components being illustrated in section, of the container shownin FIGURE 3 with the dispensing closure structure in its closedposition;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged, broken vertical sectional view illustrating oneof the hinge elements of the dispensing closure structure;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged, broken vertical sectional view showing afrangible seal or cap for the dispensing closure structure to confinethe contents of the container therewithin;

3,323,694 Patented June 6, 1967 "ice FIGURES 7, 8 and 9 are brokenvertical sectional views respectively illustrating the dispensingclosure structure in its open position, in an intermediate position, andin its closed position;

FIGURE 10 is a broken vertical sectional view similar to that of FIGURE6 but showing a modified cap for the dispensing closure structure inplace of the frangible cap illustrated in FIGURE 6; and

FIGURE 11 is a broken vertical sectional view of a further modified cap.

The dispensing closure structure is generally designated in the drawingswith the numeral 15 and is shown in functional association with acontainer 16 which, by way of example, maybe a cylindrical metal canadapted to re-, ceive therein a variety of products-dry 0r liquid-suchas, in the case of a liquid, lubricating oil for automobile engines. Thecontainer may be formed of metal or any other material suitable for theproduct intended to be received therewithin.

The container 16 is provided with a top wall, lid or cover 17 which mayor may not be formed of the same material as the rest of the container,and it can be secured to the side walls thereof by any conventionalmeans. In the particular structure illustrated, the cover .17 isfabricated from a synthetic resin plastic material, and it is providedwith 21 depending fastener wall 18 adapted to telescope into andsealingly engage the upper end portion of the container side wall. Suchfastener side wall 18 forms no part of the present invention, and, withrespect thereto, any suitable arrangement may be employed to secure thecover 17 to the side walls of the container, such as the containerclosure arrangement disclosed in copending application Ser. No. 4 5,648filed Dec. 3, 1964 and now US. Patent No. 3,297,19

As is most evident in FIGURES 1 and 3, the top wall 17 of the containeris for the most part substantially planar, and is provided with anenlarged opening 19 therein of ovate configuration. That is to say, theopening 19 has the shape defined by the intersection of a plane cuttinga right cone at an acute angle to the verti' cal axis thereof. Moreparticularly, and referring to FIG- URES 2, 4 and 7, the opening 19 isseen to be substantially a projection of the plane defined by the loweredge 20 of the closure structure 15, which edge is essentially a closedcurve defining a plane cutting through a projected cone 21 at anon-normal angle to the vertical axis 22 thereof.

The cone 21 conforms to and is determined by (or determines) a diaphragm23 which is flexible and forms a part of the dispensing closurestructure 15. The diaphragm 23 terminates in and defines the edge 20which, as indicated hereinbefore, is a closed curve establishing theperimetric boundary of an opening 24 through which the diaphragm 23 canbe inverted between the open position thereof shown in FIGURE 2 and itsclosed position illustrated in FIGURE 4which open and closed positionsof the diaphragm are essentially mirror images of each other.

The diaphragm 23 is hingedly connected along the edge 20 thereof to thecover 17 of the container 16 through an intervening wall structure 25which, as is evident in the drawings, has a varying height. More particularly, the plane defined by the edge 20 is angularly disposed withrespect to the plane of the cover 17 so that the wall structure 25interconnecting these planes must vary in height from an exceedinglysmall dimension at the intersection of the plane defined by the edge 20with the top wall 17 (which intersection is indicated generally with thenumeral 26 in FIGURES l and 3) to a relatively large dimension at thelocation of the intersection of the plane defined by the edge 20 withthe 3 base of the cone 21 (which intersection is denoted in FIGURES 2and 7 with the numeral 27).

The diaphragm 23 has an edge 28 forming a closed curve that defines aplane substantially normal to the vertical axis 22 of the cone. The edge28 establishes the perimetric boundary of a dispensing orifice 29(FIGURES 5 and 7) through which the contents of the container 16 can bedischarged when the closure structure 15, and diaphragm 23 thereof, isin the open position illustrated in FIGURES l, 2 and 7. In theparticular embodiment of the invention being considered, a funnel orspout 30 is hingedly connected with the diaphragm 23 along the edge 28thereof, and such spout is useful in confining and directing thecontents of the container 16 to a particular location as such contentsare discharge therefrom. For example, the spout 30 may be inserted intothe rigid filler tube or conduit forming the lubricant-supply entranceiuto the crankcase of an automobile engine.

The spout 30 as shown is provided at the outer discharge end thereofwith a tear-out closure cap 31 equipped centrally with a pull tab 32 andconnected with the spout through a thin frangible membrane 33. In theform shown, the cap 31 is integral with the spout 30, and can beseparated therefrom by application of a force to the pull tab 32sufficien-t to fracture the thin frangible membrane 33. When once thecap 31 is removed from the spout 30 such removal is permanent; and,therefore, the container is not designed for reuse although reusethereof is certainly possible.

A removable cap is shown in FIGURE and is denoted in its entirety withthe numeral 31. The modified spout with which the removable cap 31 isused is denoted 30, and at its upper end the spout is provided withexternal threads 32'. The cap 31 has a depending wall equipped withinternal threads 33' adapted to rnatingly engage the threaded upper endof the spout 30. Thus, the cap 31 is selectively removable from andreplaceable onto the spout 30', and any container with which thisclosure structure is employed is especially suited for repeated usage.

A further modified closure cap of the tear-out type is illustrated inFIGURE 11. This modified cap is denoted in its entirety with the numeral31", and the spout on which it is used is denoted in its entirety withthe numeral 30". The closure cap 31 is elongated, as shown at 32, and isconnected with the spout 30 through a thin frangible membrane 33". Inremoving the closure cap 31" from the spout 30", the elongatedintermediate portion 32 may be grasped and pinched inwardly andsufficient force then applied to the cap to rupture the membrane 33"along the juncture thereof with the spout 30".

In the structure illustrated, the diaphragm 23, spout 30 and wallstructure are integrally formed, and may be fabricated from any suitablematerial which has the properties of flexibility and shape-maintainingrigidity, and, as stated, plastic materials are advantageously employedsuch as, for example, polyethylene and polypropylene. With materials ofthis type, the fabrication technique may be an injection moldingoperation in which event the diaphragm 23, wall structure 25 and spoutare molded in the open position of the as semblage shown in FIGURES l, 2and 7. Further, the cover 17 of the container (and the cap 31) may beformed integrally with the wall structure 25, diaphragm 23 and spout 30;and in the embodiment of the invention illustrated, this entirestructural assemblage is so formed integrally in a single injectionmolding operation. In view of the unitary character of such assemblage,the container 16 after first being filled with its contents may then beprovided with a closure-equipped cover 17, although in some cases thecontainer may be first provided with a cover 17, filled through thebottom, and then equipped with a bottom closure.

The spout 30, wall structure 25 and cover 17 are sufliciently thick tobe relatively rigid or stiff, and, for example, may have a thickness ofabout 0.030 to 0.40 of an inch. The diaphragm 23 is made sufficientlythin to be flexible in order that it can be inverted through the opening24 between its open and closed positions respectively shown in FIGURES 2and 4. A wall thickness providing such flexibility may be, for example,in the range of 0.020 to 0.030 of an inch. The mergence of the diaphragm23 with the spout 30 along the edge 28 defines a hinge area, as does themergence of the diaphragm 23 with the wall structure 25 along the edge20. A suitable hinge is provided by reducing the thickness of thematerial along such lines of mergence, and a typical wall thicknessthereat may be about 0.005 to 0.015 of an inch. This relationship isshown most clearly in FIGURE 5 wherein an enlargement of the mergence ofthe diaphragm 23 with the spout 30 is shown. For purposes ofidentification, the hinge defined by such reduced wall thickness isdenoted with the numeral 34.

The filled container 16 will be received for use with the closurestructure 15 in the closed position thereof illustrated in FIGURES 3 and4; and when it is desired to dispense all or a portion of the contentsof the container the spout 30 is pulled upwardly whereupon the diaphragm23 is inverted through the opening 24 in being moved from the closedposition shown in FIGURE 4 into the open position illustrated in FIGURE2. The requisite lifting force may be imparted to the spout 30 directlyor through the tab 32 of the cap 31. In any event, after the spout 30 isin its elevated position the cap 31 is torn free of the spout byfracturing the thin membrane 33. As indicated hereinbef-ore, the spout30 is a relatively stitf component and may be inserted into the rigid,vertically oriented filler tube of an automobile engine and will thensupport the inverted container unattended until its contents are drainedtherefrom.

The modified cap 31 and associated spout 30 illustrated in FIGURE 10 aremore suitable than the cap 31 and spout 30 in the case where only aportion of the container content are to be discharged at any one timeinwhich event the cap 31 permits the spout to be reclosed. The closurestructure 15 can be returned to its closed position by applying adownward force to the spout 30 (or 30") to displace the spout anddiaphragm 23 from the position shown in FIGURE 7, through theintermediate position illustrated in FIGURE 8, and into the closedposition shown in FIGURE 9.

The drawings, and especially FIGURES 2 and 4 thereof, make evident thefact that the open and closed positions of the closure structure,excepting the spout 30, are inverted positions defining mirror images ofeach other, More particularly, the edge 20 and cone-intersecting planedefined thereby establish the geometric center or image plane of theclosure structure. The diaphragm 23 in its open position (as shown byfull lines in FIGURE 2) lies entirely above such geometric center orimage plane. The diaphragm 23 in its closed position (as shown by brokenlines in FIGURE 2), lies entirely below such geometric center or imageplane. Evidently, in moving between its open and closed positions, thediaphragm 23 is simply inverted through the opening 24 which openinglies entirely within such geometric center or image plane.

Thus, there is an over-center characteristic in the closure structure 15which is effective to positively maintain the same selectively in boththe open and closed positions thereof. Further, this same over-centercharacteristic imparts a pop-open and pop-close motion to the closurestructure because once a significant portion of the diaphragm 23 haspassed through the opening 24 in moving toward either the open or closedposition, the resilient forces then present in the deformed diaphragmtend to continue the motion thereof in the direction in which it ismoving until the diaphragm is displaced into either the fully open orfully closed position, both of which tend to establish neutralpositions. for the diaphragm 23.

That is to say, when the diaphragm 23 is in eithet its open or closedposition, any stresses therein are uniformly distributed because thediaphragm then has a conical configuration. Any deformation of thediaphragm from such conical configuration develops non-uniform stressesthroughout the diaphragm that tend to restore the same to a conicalshape. Thus, a the closure structure is moved from its open toward itsclosed position, for example, the stresses developed in the diaphragmprogressively increase in magnitude and tend to resist such movement andto restore the structure to its fully open position. The magnitude ofthe stresses continues to increase until the edge 28 reaches a positionof substantial coincidence with the edge 20 defining the centralgeometric plane of the structure. The stresses are maximum in thiscentral position of the closure structure, and the direction of thestresses is neutral at this time. Any displacement of the closurestructure from this central plane in either direction gives the stressesa direction corresponding to the direction of such displacement.Consequently, such directionally-oriented stresses tend to displace thestructure to the full extent of its movement in the associated directionin order to again establish it in a coni; cal configuration which, inthe foregoing example, is the closed position thereof. The same stressconditions but in opposite orientation obtain as the diaphragm isinverted through the opening 24 from its closed to it open position.

The diaphragm 23 is deformed, as shown in FIGURE 8, whenever the closurestructure is moved from either its fully open or fully closed position,but the exact path or shape of the deformation may differ from containerto container and from time to time. This situation is shown in FIGURE 8,wherein an upwardly convex deformation of the diaphragm 23 is shown byfull lines at the time that the closure structure has been displacedinto a position intermediate the fully open and closed positionsthereof. However, the diaphragm might have assumed an upwardly concavedeformation at this time. which alternative configuration is shown bybroken lines in FIGURE 8. The inclined orientation of the geometriccenter or image plane (i.e., the opening 24) with reference to the planeof the cover 17 of the container 16 permits the spout 30 to lie whollybeneath the upper surface of the cover when the closure structure 15 iscompletely closed. Thus, the container 16 will have no outwardlyextending protuherances which would interfere with the stacking ofcontainers one upon another and the disposition thereof in side-by-siderelation when the closure structure is completely cl0sed-such closedposition being essentially a mirror image of the open position of theclosure structure, whereby the structure is characterized as having areverse symmetry.

While in the foregoinng specification embodiments of the invention havebeen set forth in considerable detail for purposes of making an adequatedisclosure thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art thatnumerous changes may be made in such details Without departing from thespirit and principles of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An invertible dispensing closure through which the contents of anassociated container can be discharged, comprising a flexible diaphragmhaving an edge forming a substantially closed curve defining an openingand establishing a center plane, said diaphragm having an arcuate wallextending from the center plane at such closed curve and defining asegment of a cone, said diaphragm having also an orifice therealon-gcommunicating with said opening to provide therewith a discharge paththrough which the contents of such container can be dispensed, and saiddiaphragm being selectively invertible through said opening from oneside to the other side of such plane to respectively define open andclosed positions of said dispensing closure, said diaphragm having areverse symmetry such that the open and closed positions thereof aresubstantially mirror images of each other.

2. The dispensing closure of claim 1 in which said orifice is locatedalong said arcuate wall.

3. The dispensing closure of claim 1 in which said arcuate wallterminates adjacent one end thereof in a transverse disposition withrespect to the center line of such cone, said orifice being defined bysuch termination of said arcuate wall.

4. The dispensing closure of claim 1 and further comprising wallstructure connected with said diaphragm along the edge thereof formingsuch closed curve for connection with a wall of such container, saidwall structure being relatively stiff with respect to said diaphragm soas to maintain its shape during inversion of said dispensing closure.

5. The dispensing closure of claim 1 and further comprising a spoutconnected with said diaphragm about said orifice.

6. The dispensing closure of claim 5 in which said spout is equippedwith a removable cap.

7. The dispensing closure of claim 5 in which said spout is providedwith a frangible cap.

8. The dispensing closure of claim 1 and further comprising wallstructure connected with said diaphragm along the edge thereof formingsuch closed curve for connection with a wall of such container, saidwall structure being relatively stiff with respect to said diaphragm soas to maintain its shape during inversion of said dispensing closure,and further comprising a spout connected with said diaphragm about saidorifice.

9. The dispensing closure of claim 8 in which said diphragm, wallstructure and spout are hingedly interconnected to permit relativemovement along the respective areas of interconnection.

10. The dispensing closure of claim 9 in which said diaphragm, wallstructure and spout are integrally formed and have a reduced wallthickness along along their respective lines of mergence defining theaforementioned hinge connections.

11. The dispensing closure of claim 8 in which said orifice is locatedalong said arcuate wall.

12. The dispensing closure of claim 8 in which said arcuate wallterminates adjacent one end thereof in a transverse disposition withrespect to the center line of such cone, said orifice being defned bysuch termination of said arcuate wall.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,561,596 7/ 1-951 Rieke 222-5273,154,226 10/ 1964 Petitto 222-5 30 X FOREIGN PATENTS 936,281 9/ 1963Great Britain.

ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner. F. I-IANDREN, Assistant Examiner,

1. AN INVERTIBLE DISPENSING CLOSURE THROUGH WHICH THE CONTENTS OF ANASSOCIATED CONTAINER CAN BE DISCHARGED, COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE DIAPHRAGMHAVING AN EDGE FORMING A SUBSTANTIALLY CLOSED CURVE DEFINING AN OPENINGAND ESTABLISHING A CENTER PLANE, SAID DIAPHRAGM HAVING AN ARCUATE WALLEXTENDING FROM THE CENTER PLANE AT SUCH CLOSED CURVE AND DEFINING ASEGMENT OF A CONE, SAID DIAPHRAGM HAVING ALSO AN ORIFICE THEREALONGCOMMUNICATING WITH SAID OPENING TO PROVIDE THEREWITH A DISCHARGE PATHTHROUGH WHICH THE CONTENTS OF SUCH CONTAINER CAN BE DIS-